McMullen: Sacking Jerry Jones’ Pettiness

(973espn.com) - If Jerry Jones wasn't so transparent, he would have had a hell of a case for removing Roger Goodell as NFL commissioner.

You start with Ray Rice and you build from there.

The problem with Jones is that he had no issues with Goodell right up until the commish made a decision that affected his team, the six-game suspension of Ezekiel Elliott.

Perhaps no one could better understand Jones' frustration than Robert Kraft, his peer and the owner of the New England Patriots, who endured Deflategate and the suspension of Tom Brady.

According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, however, Kraft met Jones' indignation with words paraphrased like this: "Jerry, my franchise got killed for a BS incident with so-called deflated footballs. We lost our quarterback for 25 percent of the season. We got fined a million bucks. We lost first- and fourth-round picks. For hogwash. But I took it. My fans killed me for it, but I try to be a good partner."

The insinuation is pretty obvious there.

Jones is not being a good partner by first agreeing with the 31 other owners that Goodell deserved a contract extension and then asking for a mulligan once the Cowboys lost an impact player to the inconsistency of the NFL's personal-conduct policy.

But, Jones didn't just stomp his feet like Kraft did. He told the compensation committee if they went forward with the contract negotiations that they were tasked with engaging in he would sue the league.

On the surface that's as frivolous as it gets so Jones is now taking aim at the actual record, which ironically helps him because Goodell has in fact been an inconsistent mess as a leader on so many issues, a reactive instead of a proactive steward who lacks the credibility to steer the league through the simplest of hiccups.

Part of Goodell's reign atop America's most popular sport has been highlighted by a tone deafness toward public relations and how his behavior is viewed by the average fan.

So Jones, whose net worth is estimated at just under $6 billion and has nothing in common with his consumers, is using Goodell's own hubris and personal success against the commissioner.

One of the perks Goodell reportedly asked for in his new contract talks was the use of private jet for the rest of his life.

Now considering the money Goodell has been making, which topped out at $44 million one year, and what he is asking for, reportedly $49.5 million per year moving forward, he doesn't need anyone's help to fly privately once his NFL career is over. So, that's an easy fringe benefit to harp on in the era where so many millennials are in love with Bernie Sanders and assumption that every rich guy is a step away from being Mephistopheles himself.

Goodell's request was leaked and you can make your own summations as to who gave it to reporters with the common sense understanding it wasn't coming from the commissioner nor the people who wants to extend him. That leaves Jones' camp.

There are no adults in this fight, however, so the NFL responded to Jones' hypocrisy by racing to ProFootballTalk.com to map out a "nuclear option," an attempt to trigger forfeiture of the Dallas franchise from Jones if he continues down this path.

In another irony to this story the head of the compensation committee, Arthur Blank, hosted Jones on Sunday when his Atlanta Falcons waxed the Elliott-less Cowboys, 27-7, behind defensive end Adrian Clayborn's franchise-record six sacks.

Here's hoping the next sack takes aim at Jones' pettiness which has somehow turned a guy who wants $50 million and a Gulfstream into a somewhat sympathetic figure.

-John McMullen is a national football columnist for Extra Points Media and 973espn.com. You can reach him at jmcmullen44@Sgmail.com or on Twitter @JFMcMullen